1. South Africa — 0.28. Scoring poorly on all measures, South Africa's scores for obesity, drinking, and life expectancy in particular made it the unhealthiest country in 2019. According to the index, Singapore was rated as having the top service and state of health globally in 2023.
Scoring lowest for healthy foods were European countries including Belgium and Hungary and republics of the former Soviet Union – including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Lesotho. Deemed the unhealthiest country in the world, the CDC reports that the leading causes of death in Lesotho include HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, and diarrheal diseases. Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.
There are a number of reasons Australia appears on our list of top 10 healthiest countries, from their high-quality of life, to the clean environment and easy access to healthy food. And that's before we get to their high standards of healthcare.
The Nordic diet is a strong contender for one of the healthiest diets in the world for both people and for the planet. The Nordic diet typically focuses on minimally processed, locally sourced foods found in the Nordic countries – Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
The country with the best diet in the world, according to the study, is Israel, which in contrast recorded just 89 per 100,000 people a year. The study, published in the Lancet, found that 11 million people globally die because of their diet every year.
Currently, some of the most dangerous countries in the world according to the GPI include Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia, all of which are facing ongoing conflicts and high levels of violence.
Part of the problem, according to the CDC, is access to healthy food. Food is all around people, but much of it isn't healthy. Grocery stores have aisles and aisles of foods packed with sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. Only a fraction of store space is devoted to healthy vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Asian people have the longest average life expectancy (83.5 years) and American Indian/Alaska Natives the shortest (65.2 years).
Japanese life expectancy
The healthy life expectancy of the Japanese, 74.8 years, is also higher than in Canada (73.2 years). The higher life expectancy of Japanese people is mainly due to fewer deaths from ischemic heart disease and cancers, particularly breast and prostate cancer.
"The Aussie climate definitely drives a more active lifestyle simply because we tend to spend more time outdoors. We also have access to beautiful fresh produce all year round, which means it's easier to make better food choices and nourish our bodies in the right way."
Sydney, NSW
It turns out the most populous city in Australia is also the healthiest. So much so, that Sydney ranked highest in 7 out of 9 wellness factors. Sydney narrowly edged out Melbourne for the highest percentage (81%) of residents who engage in exercise at least once a week.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most Australians have a poor diet. The Australian dietary guidelines recommend a variety of foods including plenty of vegetables as well as fruit, grains, lean meat, and other protein, and low-fat dairy.
While there isn't one magic food that will melt away belly fat, studies have reported certain foods have special belly-fat-burning benefits, such as avocado, artichokes, whole grains, kefir, green tea, eggs, peanuts and chickpeas.